This invention relates to a composition of matter which is a liquid disulfide, polysulfide or mixture of these incorporating a catalytic amount of a polyalkyleneoxyamine, a polyalkyleneoxypolyamine or mixtures thereof to provide a material capable of dissolving unexpectedly large amounts of sulfur at a high rate. It also relates to a process for dissolving sulfur utilizing such composition. Additionally, it relates to a process for preparing polysulfides by reacting a disulfide or low rank polysulfide with sulfur in the presence of one or more of the herein disclosed catalysts.
In the procesing of sour gas wells, sulfur may form deposits that can plug the well and terminate production. These deposits have been prevented or dissolved by flowing solvents such as carbon disulfide, mineral and spindle oils, organic solvents, and aqueous alkylamines downhole to dissolve the sulfur plug. The solvent is injected downhole and the well is allowed to soak for a sufficient amount of time to dissolve any existing sulfur plugs. Alternatively, the solvent can be injected continuously in amounts sufficient to prevent the formation of sulfur deposits. The above systems all have various disadvantages such as toxicity, flammability, corrosivity, and limited ability to dissolve sulfur.